Barbay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The ancient Anglo-Saxon surname Barbay came from the baptismal name meaning the son of Barbara. The name is equally often of nickname derivation and was given to a man with a heavy beard.

Early Origins of the Barbay family

The surname Barbay was first found in Hampshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Barbay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barbay research. Another 206 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1229, 1500, 1602 and 1795 are included under the topic Early Barbay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barbay Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Barbay family name include Barbe, Barb, Berb, Berbe, Barrbe, Berrbe and others.

Early Notables of the Barbay family

Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Barbay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Barbay family to Ireland

Some of the Barbay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Barbay family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Barbay surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Adrian Barbe, who arrived in Virginia in 1621; Anne Barbe, who arrived in America in 1709; Rudolph Barbe, who came to Nova Scotia in 1752; and Henry Barbe, who settled in Baltimore in 1833..